More Happy Hours

11/5/25 Steve

1/8/26 Nick

Everyone in memory care enjoys Happy Hour, including visitors like me. Every Thursday, a musical performer comes in to entertain the residents, who also get to enjoy refreshments. The life enrichment staff do a great job of bringing in a variety of musicians. Several rotate in regularly, and it’s fun to sketch their familiar faces. Even the residents who spend most of their time dozing in their chairs become alert and engaged during happy hour.

1/15/26 Lindy Moo

2/15/26 Lisa & Frank

2/19/26 I didn't catch this performer's name,
but they performed in a "burlesque" style and 
talked about the tradition of drag performances.

3/5/26 Do

Randomly, this post also includes a couple of others who work hard in different ways to make the residents happy. Catharine, a life enrichment staff member, leads many hands-on activities with residents, including baking cookies. Gary is maintenance manager Aaron’s dog. Although Gary doesn’t do much but lie around, the residents like him, and I can’t resist sketching him.

1/6/26 Gary (left and above)

11/29/25 Catharine baking cookies

The Daily Sketch Journal Process

 

2/24/26 Alexa's Cafe, Bothell

I’ve already mentioned two animal portrait workshops I’ll be offering at ArtSpot this spring (one with brush pen and the second with colored pencils). I’m also teaching one this summer called Keeping a Daily Sketch Journal. After years of sporadic sketch journaling attempts that eventually lapsed, I finally figured out a process that “stuck,” and I’m excited to share it.

2/25/26

As I began pulling together a variety of sketch journal pages to show in the class handout, I started thinking about which types of pages might make the best examples. Developing a sketch journaling process is very personal; I don’t know which of my pages, if any, would resonate with others.

3/4/26 Cloudy Cafe, Ballard neighborhood

The main message I want to convey is simply this: What I’m showing here is just the way I do it – not the way it should be done. The only thing matters is finding one’s own way of doing it, and that only happens by trying different things.

3/20/26 documenting new glasses

9/28/25 photo reference

Not Yet Prime Time on Sunset Hill, Either

3/22/26 Sunset Hill neighborhood

Sunset Hill is my all-time favorite petal-peeping spot. Although certainly the University of Washington Quad is the city’s biggest, grandest Sakura show, and I enjoy the spectacular hanami experience of the throngs, this single block in the Sunset Hill neighborhood is more my vibe. Even at peak, these blossoms seem known only to residents who jog or walk their dogs there. It’s such a quiet residential street that I always walk slowly down the middle of it, hardly needing to step aside for cars.

Look at that shape!

Each tree’s unique shape is as familiar as a friend. As we both admired one tree in particular (which I’ve drawn many times), another woman and I declared in unison, “It’s my favorite,” then beamed at each other.

Like their sisters on Crown Hill and Capitol Hill, these beauties hadn’t yet hit their peak, but they were close. I’m planning to be back again next week with USk Seattle when it’s full-on party time, so I chose a smaller tree this time that I hadn’t sketched before. It’s just a warm-up for the main event.

Not yet prime time, but close.

Dibble on Crown Hill

3/22/26 Crown Hill neighborhood

When Sunday afternoon turned out dry and even partly sunny, it was a good opportunity to check out a couple more of my favorite pink streets. Although Dibble Northwest on Crown Hill is a narrow, quiet and somewhat messy residential street (a broken-down basketball hoop has had a prominent spot on the block for years), every spring it turns into a pink fairyland. Not the grand fairyland of Sunset Hill (see tomorrow’s post), but more like the fairy who insists on wearing dirty jeans with her tiara. No matter – the trees are still lovely.

Like the cherries on Capitol Hill, these were not yet at their peak, but they were lazily working up to it. I think the party begins this weekend.

Premature Peeping on Capitol Hill

 

3/21/26 Capitol Hill neighborhood

Although the cherry trees were not quite ready for prime time – many were not even 50 percent in bloom – the hanami energy was high on this sunny afternoon. A regular stop on my petal-peeping tour for the past few years, this residential area of Capitol Hill is relaxed and easy without the mobs of more popular places (like the UW Quad).

I’ve sketched this view with Holy Names Academy in the background at least once before. It’s a lovely domed building, but during Sakura season, it always takes a backseat. One benefit of sketching cherries before their peak is that the buds are a much brighter pink than their petals, so they’re actually easier to sketch with bright pink crayons rather than trying to capture near-white clouds of blossoms.

Overheard, pointing to my Miata parked across the street: “Hey, that’s a little red Corvette!” Excuse me?!

Wet Clay

 

3/20/26 Wet Clay Cafe, Fremont neighborhood

Kim discovered a unique venue in the Fremont neighborhood. In addition to a full pottery studio with classes, Wet Clay offers pottery-painting opportunities to those who prefer not to get their hands yucky. Potters spun their pots while others socialized as they glazed pre-fired pottery. In addition, there’s a café with coffee, pastries and sandwiches. And Urban Sketchers got to sketch it all as we sipped lattes and snacked. An interesting combo of fun stuff, right?

I wandered around the whole huge venue to sketch all the bits and pieces I saw – a potter at the wheel, another patron painting a mug, tools and glazes, and a couple guys just having lunch.

We’ll definitely be back there on another rainy day!

I’m in the ArtSpot Window!

 

What a thrill to see my sketches displayed in ArtSpot's window!

What fun it was to participate as an artist during Art Walk Edmonds! ArtSpot, the art supply store where I’ll be offering workshops this year, invited me to be their featured artist in March by displaying my work in their window all month. As part of that, I was at the store March 19 during Art Walk to chat with customers, promote the workshops, and give casual demos. I sketched a few pets and had a wonderful time meeting people, seeing friends who came by, and of course, talking about art supplies.

(Image from ArtSpot)

Using Derwent Drawing pencils! (Image from ArtSpot)

Some sketches I made as I chatted and "demo'd" (which means trying to talk while I draw!)

My colored pencil workshop promotion next to the 
colored pencil section!